Cravings don’t care if you’re watching what you eat. One minute you’re sipping herbal tea, the next your brain’s yelling “cookies!” And most of those so-called healthy ones? Sad. Dry. Crumbly. You bite into them and immediately regret everything.

This isn’t that. These are soft, warm, sweet in the way ripe bananas know how to be – without dumping a truckload of sugar into your system. No gluten. No dairy. No sweeteners that read like science experiments. Just basic ingredients, a few minutes of your time, and a tray full of cookies that won’t mess up your day.

Active Time: 15 min
Total Time: 30 min
Servings: 12

Ingredients

You don’t need anything obscure. Everything should already be lurking somewhere in your kitchen – probably next to that bag of rice you haven’t opened in a year.

• 2 ripe bananas (spotted like a leopard, not barely yellow)
• 1½ cups gluten-free rolled oats
• ½ cup almond flour (don’t even think about swapping this out with white flour)
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (adds warmth, makes it smell like a bakery)

Optional add-ins:

• ¼ cup dairy-free chocolate chips
• Crushed walnuts or pecans
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup, only if you’re into extra sweet

Instructions

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Grab a bowl. Toss in your bananas and mash until they’re smoother than your last breakup. No lumps, no chunks. Stir in the vanilla and melted oil. It should already smell good.

Add your oats, almond flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until everything comes together. If it looks too wet or too dry, it probably isn’t – this dough’s weird like that.

Fold in whatever extras you’ve got. Chips. Nuts. Syrup. Don’t go wild or they’ll fall apart.

Cooking

Scoop out your dough and drop it onto the baking tray. Flatten each one a bit – think cookie, not dough ball. They won’t spread, so shape them how you want them to come out.

Bake for 13–15 minutes. They should look lightly browned, not crispy. The center stays soft, like a cross between a muffin top and a chewy oatmeal cookie.

Let them cool on the tray for at least 10 minutes. Seriously. They’ll break if you move them too soon.

Serving

These don’t need dressing up. But if you want to treat them like royalty:

• Dunk in black coffee or oat milk
• Crumble into plant-based yogurt
• Stash in lunchboxes as a subtle snack

They’ll last a few days in an airtight container. Or freeze ‘em. Just let them thaw before eating unless you like biting into edible ice cubes.

Nutritional Value Per One Serving

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 105
Fat: 4g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 45mg
Carbs: 15g
Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 5g (from the banana, not a sugar avalanche)
Protein: 2g

Tips and Variations

They can wear a different hat every time you bake them. Change up a few things and they feel brand new.

• Want crunch? Add sunflower seeds or shredded coconut.
• Need spice? Nutmeg or ginger goes a long way.
• No bananas left? Use ¼ cup pumpkin puree for one of them. Totally different vibe, still works.

You don’t need a mixer or anything fancy. One bowl. One spoon. One pan. That’s it.

Conclusion

These cookies don’t try to fake it. They’re not pretending to be grandma’s sugar bombs or passing themselves off as health food just to disappoint you. They’re soft, chewy, lightly sweet, and they actually taste like something you’d want to eat more than once.

You’ll bake a batch and keep them around. Then you’ll make more without even thinking about it.

For more irresistible dessert ideas, don’t miss our full collection.